Pa. bill: Employer must allow an employee to keep a gun in the car

HARRISBURG&GT;&GT; A bill before the Pennsylvania Senate would prevent private employers from making or maintaining policies that prohibit employees from keeping guns in their vehicles.

Sen. Richard Alloway II, R-Chambersburg, attached the amendment this week to House Bill 827, which had related solely to criminal penalties for retaliation against witnesses.

The Senate Judiciary Committee sent the amended bill to the Senate floor.

Alloway on his Facebook page this week posted an action bulletin from the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action:

"There seems to be a plethora of businesses micromanaging the lawful contents of one's private vehicle at the workplace. These policies are widespread across the Keystone State, and something needs to be done. These types of gun bans only serve to jeopardize the safety of employees commuting to and from the workplace, and the employer holds no liability if you fall victim to a violent crime during your commute. You shouldn't have to be the next potential victim of violent crime because you decided to seek employment at a steel company or a department store that arbitrarily bans the storage of firearms in your privately-owned vehicle."

CeaseFire, a group claiming "to take a stand against gun violence," opposes the measure.

Advertisement

"Forcing employers to let their employees keep guns in their cars does not make us safer," said Shira Goodman, executive director of CeaseFire.

The Employee Parking Lot Protection Amendment would prohibit a person, partnership, firm, association, corporation or non-profit from maintaining or enforcing a policy that prohibits an employee from keeping a gun or ammunition locked or out of sight in the truck, glove box or other compartment in his or her vehicle.

There are exceptions -- schools, properties used for school functions, properties where federal or state law expressly prohibits possession of firearms, prisons, domestic violence or emergency shelters, group homes, colleges and chemical, oil and nuclear plants.

The bill would not authorize an employee to carry his or her gun in the company car. An employer also would not be held liable for the actions of an employee who carries a gun in his or her car or for the theft of the gun.

Twenty-three states have employee protection parking lot laws, according to the NRA.